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The Internet uses domain names to identify specific computers on the Internet by assigning easier to remember word-based names to the complicated series of numbers that make up a computer's actual name. A domain name consists of three parts separated by periods or 'dots.' For instance, let's look at the domain name www.google.com. The 'www' is a sub domain, 'google' is a second-level name, and 'com' is the top-level domain (TLD) or domain name extension. Originally, there were only seven of these domain name extensions in existence:
The three main generic domain extensions were created in 1984 by the Internet Activities Board (IAB) to differentiate between 'commercial' sites (.com), 'non-profit organization' sites (.org), and 'Internet infrastructure' sites (.net). At the same time, four other generic extensions were created, but they were not made available for registration without restriction like the others. These four (.edu, .gov, .int, and .mil) are for limited use only. The availability of domain names ending in the 'Big 3' top-level domains (TLDs) is rapidly dwindling as names are snatched up daily. The most popular and desirable extension to many website owners is '.com.' But what if you are launching a new website and every .com variation of the name you want is taken? Well, there is good news for you. In 2001 and 2002, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) introduced seven new TLDs: (ICANN is the international body that oversees and controls the allocation of top-level domains around the world.) The seven new TLDS:
So now there are many extensions to choose from when registering a new website. In addition, there are many country code extensions that reference a specific country, such as .us ( United States ), .fr ( France ), etc. Go to Norid.no for more information on country code extensions. |
Domain name extensions
